Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Beating the Pot Odds

By Agni Ghayth

What I'm about to share with you is a method that will give you proficiency in beating the pot odds. Remember to always pay attention to the size of the pot when you are involved in a hand. This help you have an accurate estimate of the dangers and reward that each hand offers. Imagine, you are involved in a hand where many players have put money into the pot; the hand almost certainly has excellent pot odds.

Recently I was playing a hand at the final table of a no-limit tournament. I was dealt pocket 10's and played it aggressively. My opponent checked to me every turns and then called all bet. Then, right after the river came, I was holding a pair of tens and eights with a flush draw on the table.

The $50 bet of my opponent got me to think about the probable flush. To win over the $500, it needed an extra $50. And so I sought the forbidden fruit. By means of the laws of pot odds, I was extremely certain to call and as a result, I was able to bring in a pot worth $625! It came about when my opponent turned over his horrible pocket 7's. Indeed he would have call any raise that I was going to make, If only he had a flush.

Not awhile ago, I was playing in an online poker tournament when a player moved all-in before the flop. Sadly, there was nothing but few blinds for the player to win. I couldn't see any reason for this player to move all-in, when there was basically nothing that you would believe to be a win for having to move all-in. Continuing on, I was dealt with a monster hand and as a result, this has lead me successful.

Don't risk your chips to win over small pot. Just a reminder as this might be tempting to some people. How other people play their hand will depend on the size of the pot. Your opponent will unlikely fold, unless you make a big bet, when he has allocated lots of his money to the pot. By catching a monster hand, you can try to get your opponents pot committed then turn them into calling stations and make away with every single one of their chips.

I notice that players are way looser compared if they weren't pot committed. The key to this is by detaching the final moves from the rest of the hand.

Here is something that you should try out, since it's practically easy and it's very effective. By forcing a break in the action you can separate the plays you make from the rest of the hand. For example, before making a move, try to get your opponent to count their chips. What you are actually doing is distracting them, so remember that it is very important to take note that you must do this casually.

On the other hand, you must bear in mind that with your own hands, you don't have to worry about the money that you've placed in the pot. Remember that by placing money into a pot, it is already considered to go to whoever wins the pot. Only if you are confident enough that you have a better hand or can pull a bluff, then you must never call any bets, unless you are playing with great pot odds. The key to having control over the game is being familiar to the size of the pot and the betters who are placing money into it. - 16887

About the Author:

No comments: